Flask support and connecting member



Oct. 23, 1951 w. F. BUTLER FLASK SUPPORT AND CONNECTING MEMBER Filed Jan. 27, 1947 INVENTOR. kV/u/AM 551/7252 Patented Oct. 23, 1951 FLASK SUPPORT AND'CONNECTING MEMBER William F. Butler, Oakland, Calif assignor to Cutter Laboratories, Berkeley, Calif., a corporation of California Application January 27, 1947, Serial No. 724,590

Claims. (Cl. 128 214) fcr making blood transfusions and more specifi- I cally to a device for supporting a flask used for receiving the blood from a donor and for connecting such flask with a section of I flexible tubing.

In taking blood from a donor it is essential that the blood immediately be agitated with a blood non-coagulant such as sodium citrate. In the past, and as described in the Butler et a1. Patent No. 2,309,302 of January 26, 1943, this has been accomplished by imparting a gyratorymovement to the receiving flask during the donating period. Although the equipment described in'said Butler et al. patent enables an operator to gyrate thefla-sk and simultaneously operate the pinch valve associated with-the flask holder so as a l: ways to maintain the flow of blood under control and to do this by the use of only one hand, the necessity of gyrating the flask is not only inconvenient but it is very apt to result in pulling on the connecting tubing, dislodging the needle from the donor and causing him considerable discomfort.

In general, the object of this invention is the provision of a grip for conveniently supporting a flask in an inverted position while blood is being drawn thereinto through a hypodermic needle at a point immediately above the inner end of the flask stopper, so that this blood of necessity will pass through and be agitated with a body of sodium citrate disposed over said stopper. By resorting to an expedient of this sort the necessity of gyrating the flask can be dispensed with.

The invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which with the foregoing will be set forth at length in the following description where that form of the invention which has been selected for illustration in the drawing accompanying and forming a part of the present specification is outlined in full. In said drawing one form of the invention is shown but it is to be understood that it is not limited to such form, since the invention, as set forth in the claims, may be embodied in a plurality of forms within the scope of said claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a flask grip and supporting member embodying the objects of my invention with portions thereof shown in section better to illustrateits construction.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the grip and supporting member shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of the device illustrated in Fig. l.

The hand grip and flask supporting member illustrated in these figures is conveniently made of a strip of metal having an intermediate upstanding section I, an overturned hand grip 2, a slightly inclined shoulder 3 and a depending section 4 terminating in an outwardly extending shoulder 5.

Welded or otherwise secured to the depending section 4 is an outwardly extending flask neck receiving ring 6. Threaded into the shoulder 5 and extending through the ring 6 is a hypodermic needle 1 arranged to be piercedthrough the stopper 8 of an inverted flask 9. As shown in dotdash lines in Fig. 1, the flask 9 is supported on the shoulder 3 and held in a substantially vertical position by the ring 6 and by the needle I,

with its center of gravity well below the upper end of the hand grip 2, the stopper 8 having a light force fit with the neck of the flask. Overlying the top of the grip 2 are a pair of parallel and laterally spaced guide rails II and I2, these rails being interconnected at their ends and mounted on the grip by flanged legs I3 and I4 depending from the ends of the rail I2 and welded or otherwise secured to the grip. Extending transversely beneath the rails l I and I2 is a shaft l5 and mounted on this shaft is a tube constricting, thumb operated roller l6 preferably having a knurled surface and arranged to travel between the rails l l and [2. Also mounted on each end of-the shaft l5 between the ends of the roller l6 and the innerv edges of the rails II and I2 are washers I! provided with down-turned ears l8 arranged to overlie the upper surfaces of the rails II and I2 and to therefore prevent an vertical movement of the roller IS with respect to the guide rails II and I2. It is to be noted, however, that the leg I4 is longer than the longitudinally I opposed leg [3 and that therefore the clearance between the roller l6 and the underlying portion of the grip gradually diminishes as the roller traverses the rails H and i2 from right to left as viewed in Fig. 1.

Fastened to the lower end of the hypodermic needle 1 is a section of rubber tubing [9, the intermediate portions thereof being forced into a slot 2| formed at the juncture of the vertical section I and the shoulder 3 and into similar slots associated with the legs l3 and it. Since a portion of the tubing l9 overlies the grip 2, the traverse of the roller IE will serve to open and close the tubing at this point under the control of the operator using the device.

Secured to the free end of the tubing I9 is a second hypodermic needle 2| designed to be inserted into a blood vein of a donor.

As supplied for use, the flask 9 contains a small quantity of sodium citrate and is hermetically sealed by its stopper 8 under a partial vacuum,

sorted into the ring 6 to a point where the shouider of the flask engages the shoulder 3 of the grip and flask supporting member. The second needle is then inserted in the vein of a donor. This having been done the entire assembly "is then inverted and held by the operator in this position by the grip 2, the operators thumb then being directly over the roller 16.. The roller 1.6 is then moved outwardly to permit blood to flow therethrough. As the blood enters the inverted stopper end of the flask under the influence of the partial vacuum therein, it of necessity'passes through the bod of sodium citrate contained in' the flask and is agitated therewith owing to-the turbulent flow of blood into the flask without the necessity of manually imparting a gyratory' movement to the flask as heretofore has been necessary. Being relieved of this operation the attendant is free to concentrate on other details of the procedure. If for any reason the'needle is accidentally or purposely withdrawn from the donor the roller Hi can be moved inwardly-to pinch off the tube and thus preventthe loss of vacuum within the flask. When the needle has been reinserted the roller is again moved outwardly to again permit blood to flow from the donor to the flask.

I claim:

1. A fiask supporting and connecting member comprising: a normally vertical hand grip provided at its lower 'end with a laterally extending flask'supporting bracket and arranged to support an inverted flask adjacent and parallel to said grip with the center of gravity o'fsaid'flask below the upper end of said grip; means 'for securing a hypodermic needle directly to 'said bracket in a substantially erect position; and a tube constricting member mounted on said hand grip.

2; A flask support and connecting member comprising: a normally vertical hand grip provided at its lower end with a laterally extending flask supporting bracket for supporting an in- 1 Number Name Date 2,168,270 Paisley et al. Aug. .1, 1939' 2,243,327 Cooksey May 27, 2194.1- 2,309,302 Butler et a1 Jan. 26, 1943- FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country .Date

109,909 Australia--. Mar. 7,1940

4 mounted on said hand grip; and a section of flexible tubing connected at one end to the lower end of said hypodermic needle and operatively associated intermediate its ends with said tube constricting member.

3. A flask supporting and connecting member comprising: a normally vertical hand grip provided at its lower end with a laterally extending --:flask supporting bracket; a flask neck receiving :ring mounted on said bracket on a substantially vertical axis for supporting an inverted flask adiacent and parallel to said grip with the center ofgravitybf said 'flask well below the upper end of said grip; a hypodermic needle vertically .mounted directly on said bracket within said ring; and a tube constricting member mounted on said hand grip.

4. A flask supporting and connecting member comprising: a normally vertical hand grippr o vide'd at'its'uppe'r end with a reverse bend and with a tube constricting member and 'providai at its lower end with a laterally extending ofiset bracket; a flask neck receiving ring fastened to said bracket on a substantially vertical axis; a hypodermic needle mounted on the lower end of said bracket and extending upwardly through said ring; and a section of flexible tubing secured at one end to said needle and operatively associated intermediate its ends with said tube *constricting member.

5. A flask supporting device comprising a rigid normally vertical member having a laterally ex tending flask-supporting bracket and an upright portion providing a handle said bracket being arranged to support an inverted flask adjacent and parallel to said rigid member; means for securing a tube directly to said upright portion; and a manually operable tube constricting 'member'secured directly to said upright portion.

WILLIAM F. BUTLER.

REFERENCES CITED The :followin'g'references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

